"Isn't it a disgrace for humanity that we still need to underline this," Xinhua quoted Merkel as saying at the UN event, which opened on Sunday.

Merkel used her speech to highlight violence against women in conflict, as well as women's important role in building peace. "We need women for peace, we need women for development," she said.

Markel said development could not be achieved where women were deprived of their rights and that women were often worst off in conflict zones.

"Wherever women are deprived of their rights and freedoms, wherever they are humiliated and abused, development is invariably limited," she said.

"Particularly in conflict regions violence against women is a cruel reality, be it in Syria, Iraq, Nigeria or in South Sudan, the stories are very similar ones."

"Women are torn from their families, they are raped, they are enslaved," she said. "Each and every one of these stories is a stark reminder to all of us to see that Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security is respected day to day."

UN member states adopted Security Council Resolution 1325 in October 2000 to recognise women's important role in peace building and to commit to increasing women's participation in peace negotiations.